For the next few months, I’ll be working with the team at LocalRuckus, building a new Node.js API and application. As a small shop with no dedicated Sys Admin or Dev Ops, its essential that we find Node.js hosting that is flexible, fast, and cost-effective. I’ve been considering three major players in the Node.js hosting scene, Heroku, Nodejitsu, and Appfog. There are some good comparisons out there (I especially like Daniel Saewitz’s article), but I wanted to share my 2 cents.

"Cloud application platform Heroku announced on Friday that it is offering over 40 hours of free Ruby on Rails training in the form of online video, lectures and exercises.

Heroku engineer Richard Schneeman says the content is based on a class in Ruby on Rails he taught at the University of Texas in Austin. The course is intended to “take a brand new developer up through the ranks, until they can build and deploy a fully functional website.”"

Cloud IT is expected to change dramatically by 2020. Market growth for cloud computing is projected to be $150 billion by 2020 as it becomes central to IT infrastructure. Increased demand will bring about new developments and cheaper products, while currently lagging technologies will find their way to market. By 2020 there will be new generations of decision makers who understand the full scope of cloud-based tools. Adapting will be intuitive to them.

1. Software and hardware changes

Cloud computing will ultimately render computing itself as “invisible.” Software will go through so many filters before it interacts with the hardware, it will be working in thebackground as computing processes take place.

2. Modular software

Individual software applications will become more complex because of the variation of scale. The software development process will place an emphasis on modular software — as in, large applications with components that can be modified without shutting down the program. Because clouds will interact with other clouds, different parts of applications will “float around” in and out of service providers. The challenge will be to provide reliable service agreements that can be met.

3. Social software

Along with the modular shift, software could take on traits currently found in social-media. The infrastructure and software of a data center will adapt to the task required. Developers will no longer need to worry about supplying storage, a server and a switch — it will all happen automatically.

4. Commodity hardware rules

By 2020 low-cost hardware will be the norm and servers and storage devices will look like replaceable parts. This form of commoditized infrastructure will be widely adopted by large businesses that operate giant data centers.

5. Low-power processors and cheaper clouds

Once low-power ARM chips come to market with a 64-bit capability, things will really accelerate and companies will be able to cut their electricity bills significantly. By 2020 it’s likely that low-power chips will be everywhere. ARM adoption is going to start in storage equipment, then broaden to servers.

6. Faster interconnects

The dual needs of widely distributed applications and a rise in the core count of high-end processors will converge to bring mega-fast interconnects into data centers. Information will be passed around data centers at a greater rate than before, and at a lower cost, letting companies create larger applications that circulate more data through their hardware.

7. Data centers as ecosystems

The dual technologies of abstracted software and commoditized hardware should combine to make data centers function much more like ecosystems, with an encompassing system directing equipment via software, with hardware controlled from a single point, but growing and shrinking according to workloads.

8. Merging of clouds

Because the Internet likes scalability, there will most likely be consolidation in the cloud IT provider market. There will be more diversity; more clouds suited to a specific purpose.

9. The new generation

With the next generation of CIOs coming into leadership roles by 2020, there will be an expectation that things are available “as-a-service”. This new generation may lead to a shake-up in how businesses bill themselves for IT.

10. Clouds in layers

Today there are cloud services in three categories: infrastructure-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service or software-as-a-service. By 2020 more specialized clouds will be part of the mix. Along with services such as storage and compute, there will also be a broad ecosystem of more specific cloud providers, allowing companies to shift workloads to the cloud.

A great compilation of what we have come to expect (and should expect) from cloud computing since its notion. These points are spot-on and we can be assured that computing via the cloud is going to be a major factor in many aspects of society and communication in general.

I have made several posts concerning cloud-based eLearning. It is more than obvious to me that the Future of eLearning is in the Cloud. However, how can we design a school in the Cloud where children can explore and learning for each other?

I have made several posts concerning cloud-based eLearning. It is more than obvious to me that the Future of eLearning is in the Cloud. However, how can we design a school in the Cloud where children can explore and learning for each other?

The following is a guest blog post by Julian Fischer (hello@anynines.com, @railshoster) founder and CEO or AnyNines, a Cloud Foundry and Rails hosting service operated by Avarteq GmbH in Saarbrücken, Germany. Cloud Foundry is well known for simplifyin...

Last week Netflix released ice, a publicly available tool that offers a granular look at Amazon Web Services usage and the associated costs in more detail than Amazon itself provides. Netflix, which accounts for a third of all North American Internet traffic on any given night, relies on the Amazon's cloud platform because it's the only company with the capacity to deliver all of that data to customers.

But when AWS runs into problems, like when its Elastic Load Balancer that routes network traffic went down, causing anembarrassing Christmas Eve outage of Netflix's streaming service, there is no recourse. As a result, Netflix is forced to create its own tools for dealing with problems it encounters in AWS.

The sophisticated file management of cloud computing allows more file size without crushing network performance. This means we won't have to create "lowest common denominator" designs that bore everyone to tears but load fast anymore (or that is the theory :). M

Sharing your scoops to your social media accounts is a must to distribute your curated content. Not only will it drive traffic and leads through your content, but it will help show your expertise with your followers.

Integrating your curated content to your website or blog will allow you to increase your website visitors’ engagement, boost SEO and acquire new visitors. By redirecting your social media traffic to your website, Scoop.it will also help you generate more qualified traffic and leads from your curation work.

Distributing your curated content through a newsletter is a great way to nurture and engage your email subscribers will developing your traffic and visibility.
Creating engaging newsletters with your curated content is really easy.